אם כסף תלוה וגו'. פתח בה ר' תנחומא מלוה ה' חונן דל (משלי יט יז), כל מי שהוא מלוה לעני, כביכול כאילו מלוה להקב"ה, מלוה ה' חונן דל [וגמולו ישלם לו] (שם), אמר ר' פנחס הכהן בר חמא מהו וגמולו ישלם לו, אמר הקב"ה נפש של עני היתה מבקשת לצאת והחייתה, חייך שאני מחזיר לך נפש תחת נפש, למחר בנך או בתך באים לידי חובה או לידי מיתה, ונזכר להם, ואתן להם נפש תחת נפש, אמר הקב"ה חייך שנקראת מלוה אותו, שנאמר מלוה ה'. את מוצא על כל עבירות שאדם עושה הקב"ה יושב עליו במשפט, לומר היאך יצא משפטו, מי שגונב הקב"ה יושב עליו בדין, ועל מי שנואף, ועל מי שעובר עבירה, וכן אתה מוצא בימי אחאב, מיכה אמר לכן (שמעו) [שמע] דבר ה' ראיתי את ה' יושב על כסאו וכל צבא השמים (עומדים) [עומד] עליו מימינו ומשמאלו (מ"א כב יט), וכי יש שמאל למעלה, והלא כתיב ימינך ה' וגו' (שמות טו ו), ואומר ימין ה' רוממה וגו' (תהלים קיח טז), וכאן הוא אומר משמאלו, מהו מימינו ומשמאלו, [אלו מיימינים ואלו משמאילים], אלו מטים לכף זכות, ואלו מטים לכף חובה, כך עושה הקב"ה לכל עוברי עבירה, נושא ונותן בדינם, אבל המלוה ברבית אינו נושא ונותן בדינו, אלא בעצמו פוסק את דינו, שכן אמר הקב"ה למלאכי השרת, בנשך נתן (ובתרבית) [ותרבית] לקח (יחזקאל יחי ג), מיד מלאכי השרת עונין לא יחיה את כל התועבות [האלה] עשה מות יומת (שם), לכך אמר משה אם כסף תלוה את עמי. (Exod. 22:24 [25]:) IF YOU LEND MONEY <TO MY PEOPLE>…. R. Tanhuma opened on <this verse with> (Prov. 19:17): THE ONE WHO IS GENEROUS WITH THE POOR IS LENDING TO THE LORD.26Tanh., Exod. 6:15. Whoever lends to the poor is, as it were, as if he were lending to the Holy One. (Ibid.:) THE ONE WHO IS GENEROUS WITH THE POOR IS LENDING TO THE LORD, [AND HE WILL REPAY HIM HIS DUE]. R. Pinhas bar Hama the Priest said: What is the meaning of AND HE WILL REPAY HIM HIS DUE? The Holy One said: When a poor person's soul (nefesh) was seeking to leave,27Tanh., Exod. 6:15, expands: “When a poor person’s soul (nefesh) was seeking to leave out of hunger, you gave him a prutah (a small coin) and revived him.” you revived him. By your life I am returning you life (nefesh) for life. Tomorrow, when your son or daughter comes into the hands of guilt or into the hands of death, [this deed] will be remembered on their behalf, and I will give them a life for a life. The Holy One said: By your life, you have been named as the one who gave him a loan, as stated (in Prov. 19:17): <THE ONE WHO IS GENEROUS WITH THE POOR> IS LENDING TO THE LORD. You find that for all the sins which a person commits, the Holy One sits in judgment over him, saying: How did his judgment come about? In the case of one who steals, the Holy One sits over him in judgment, also over the one who commits adultery and over the one who commits <any other > transgression.28Cf. Exod. R. 31:14. And so you find in the days of Ahab that Micah (i.e., Micaiah) said (in I Kings 22:19 or II Chron. 18:18):29The text draws its wording from both I Kings 22:19 and from II Chron. 18:18, but Buber has emended his mss in conformity with I Kings 22:19. HEAR, THEREFORE, THE WORD OF THE LORD: I SAW THE LORD SITTING UPON HIS THRONE, AND ALL THE HEAVENLY HOST WAS STANDING BY HIM TO HIS RIGHT AND TO HIS LEFT. Is there a left above?30See above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 4:21; Exod. 1:21; Cant. R. 1:9:1. <Yes,> and is it not written (in Exod. 15:6): YOUR RIGHT HAND, O LORD, <GLORIOUS IN POWER, YOUR RIGHT HAND SHATTERS THE ENEMY>? It also says (in Ps. 118:16): THE RIGHT HAND OF THE LORD IS EXALTED…. And it says here (in I Kings 22:19): TO HIS RIGHT… What is the meaning of TO HIS RIGHT AND TO HIS LEFT? [Those on the right and those on the left.] The first group tilts the balance towards the scale of merit, and the other group tilts the balance towards the scale of guilt. So does the Holy One act towards all who commit <any> transgression. Their judgment is a matter of give and take. But in the case of one who has made a loan with interest, there is no give and take in his judgment. Instead <the Holy One> renders his judgment by himself. Thus the Holy One has said this to the ministering angels (in Ezek. 18:13): WITH USURY HE HAS GIVEN, {AND WITH INTEREST} HE HAS TAKEN [INTEREST]. <SHALL HE LIVE?> Immediately the ministering angels answer (ibid., cont.:) HE SHALL NOT LIVE. HE HAS COMMITTED ALL [THESE] ABOMINATIONS. HE SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH. Therefore Moses has said (in Exod. 22:24 [25]:) IF YOU LEND MONEY TO MY PEOPLE>….>